First look: Chef behind Strang Hall favorite Anousone brings his popular Laotian fare downtown
March 19, 2024 | Startland News Staff
A new menu option at the Strang Chef Collective at lightwell hits familiar flavors for diners who already have fallen in love with renowned Chef Anourom Thomson’s Southeast Asian-inspired comfort food, said Shawn Craft.
Anousone at Strang Chef Collective at lightwell; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Anousone — a popular staple with the Strang Hall food hall concept in downtown Overland Park — has opened a new location within lightwell’s Strang pocket restaurant space. It joins Panacea, a New American bistro, in the two-concept, 4,805-square-foot food and beverage setup, which features additional outdoor seating along Main Street in downtown Kansas City.
“We know that the Central Business District is hungry for fast-casual lunch options that are also chef and season-driven,” said Craft, CEO of Strang Chef Collective. “It was a no-brainer to expand this popular concept into multiple locations.”
Anousone’s menu draws from Laotian-born Thomson’s journey as a refugee who found solace in his mother’s home cooking, according to Strang Chef Collective. The eatery provides a unique blend of flavors that pay homage to Laotian cuisine while incorporating Thomson’s extensive experience in American fare.
Click here to check out what’s cooking at Anousone.
“I am thrilled to announce the grand opening of our new restaurant at Strang Chef Collective at lightwell,” Thomson said in a press release. “This additional location will feature customer-approved dishes that meet our high-quality standards and reflect our commitment to providing an exceptional dining experience for busy professionals.”
The new space opened March 11.
Chef Anourom Thomson, Anousone
Strang Chef Collectives — a platform for local culinary talent and food entrepreneurs to showcase their skills and provide authentic chef-driven experiences — has locations in Downtown Overland Park, Downtown Kansas City, and the historic Country Club Plaza.
RELATED: Plaza’s two-floor, chef-driven food hall and late-night hangout now open
Thomson first launched Anousone’s Mobile Cuisine in 2017 within the Little Piggy food truck hub on Southwest Boulevard.
At Strang Hall, he has been an inspiration for his fellow chefs, which notably include his former sous chef Chris Jones — who now runs Khai-Noy, a Southeast Asian within Strang’s Plaza location — and Chef Ameet Malhotra — who recently opened Elephant Wings at Parlor KC in the Crossroads.
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Do The Right Thing: Tate Williams plans to sell his startup (but he’s not looking for an exit)
The following profile features one of five finalists for the “Do The Right Thing” social impact pitch competition organized by the KC BizCare Office, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City and Startland News. Finalist features will be published throughout the week. Click here to read more features. Click here to vote for your favorite finalist…
New owners for Bo Lings’ Plaza location; here’s what the beloved restaurant is adding to its menu
Change is on the way for a longtime staple of the Kansas City food scene: Bo Lings — the Chinese restaurant chain founded by Bo “Richard” Ng and Far “Theresa” Ling in 1981 — has partnered with W.VinZant Restaurants to reimagine its Country Club Plaza location with more contemporary and expansive Asian cuisine. The new…
Prospect KC brews coffee bar collab with Messenger inside iconic downtown KC library
A reimagined coffee shop — closed during the pandemic — returns to full strength Aug. 7 thanks to a menu of pastries, sandwiches, and salads prepared by The Prospect KC culinary students in a live-training environment, as well as drinks and coolers crafted with Messenger Coffee Co. The 1,350-square-foot coffee bar and café — dubbed…
Cookies have taken over Sweet Kiss, but this mother-daughter brigadeiro shop has even more baked inside
For Jessica Harris, a brigadeiro offers a taste of home, she said, and for almost a decade, she’s been sharing those Brazilian truffles with Kansas City. When the Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro co-founder relocated to the City of Fountains in 1996 — following her sister who moved the year before to play basketball for Penn Valley…